Page 76 of We Redeemed the Rain

I approached her slowly. “Is she—still a little skittish?”

He breathed a laugh, a gentle smile breaking free. “Not in theslightest. She’s a completely different horse. All her trauma’s behind her. She’s one of my biggest babies now.”

I held out my hand to Tillie, and she pushed her nose into my palm, greeting me for a few seconds. Then I touched her face, working my way up between her eyes and gently touching her by her ears.

Tillie closed her eyes and sighed.

I moved around to her side, scrubbing my hands down her neck and touching her soft mane. I caught a faint soapy or maybe floral scent on her? She still smelled like a horse, but it was clear she was well taken care of. Maybe even pampered, given the size of the stall.

Tillie sighed and stepped sideways, almost knocking me off my feet.

“She’s tryin’ to get closer to you.”

“Really?”

“She likes you.”

“Awww, I like you too, Tillie. Can we be friends?” She sighed again, shifting on her hooves. I ran my hands down her side and stopped, looking to Tag. “She’s a big girl!”

“You really came at a great time.”

“Why’s that?”

“She’s about to foal. Hopefully in the next week or so.”

My voice raised in pitch. “She’s having a baby?!”

He nodded.

“No way! Tag! That’s amazing! Will we be able to watch?”

“As long as she doesn’t do it when our backs are turned. I’ve been checkin’ on her ten times a day.”

“When’s her due date?”

“Yesterday. But it’s normal for them to carry a few weeks longer.”

I refocused on Tillie. Tears stung my eyes and my voice squeezed. This gorgeous horse was one of Scribbs’ only friends. He had loved her so much. Loved her all the way to the peaceful horse she now was. I could only wonder how different Tag was because of her. The project of Tillie had given him a purpose as a teenager.

Seeing them together, as sweet friends, made the tears flow.

I ran my hands down her back to her flank, letting myfingers find the tiny scars that marred her color. There must’ve been two dozen or so. “Look at her, Tag.”

I glanced up at him. He was watching me, not Tillie.

“You gave her the best possible second chance.” I sniffed. “She’s happy, sweet, becoming a mama, having a full long life. It’s so beautiful…sorry, I don’t know why I’m emotional.”

If I wasn’t listening for it, I would’ve missed his quiet response. “Tillie’s stall is a safe place for that.”

I looked up, searching for his gaze, but he kept it down and away, his hand raising to swipe the back of his neck.

He was speaking from experience—I had no doubt. And again, I found myself craving deeper knowledge of him. What had these walls seen? Heard? Felt?

I dabbed tears off my eyelashes with my wrist. “This is so exciting.”

“It is. When I was a kid, we’d birthed calves every other day, but I’ve only seen a foalin’ once.”

We chatted for a few more minutes about the coming baby and lavished Tillie with attention. She rested her head on Tag’s shoulder, and he gave her a noisy kiss on the forehead before we left.

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